Mr. Butler was born on October 15, 1913 in Jonestown, Mississippi, theson of George Washington Butler and Elizabeth Salter Butler. Hegraduated from Jonestown High School in 1932, attended MillsapsCollege in Jackson, then graduated from Mississippi State College inStarkville in 1937, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.He received a degree in Civil Engineering at Mississippi State andthen earned a Degree in Law from the Jackson School of Law in 1940.

He operated farming interests near Jonestown for many years, where hewas a member of the Jonestown United Methodist Church and served aschairman of the Board of Stewards until the church closed in 2003. Hesubsequently joined St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Clarksdale.He was also a 32nd Degree Mason and a shriner.

Mr. Butler had many interests. He was a member of the MississippiState Bar Association in addition to being a Registered ProfessionalEngineer. He served as a director of the Mississippi School BoardAssociation and locally, he was a member of the Coahoma County SchoolBoard where he served as president for 16 years. He also served aspresident of the Jonestown Cemetery Board, as a member of the Board ofDirectors of the Jonestown Peanut Corporation, the Board of Directorsof the Jonestown, and the Board of Directors of the Coahoma CountyFarm Bureau.

Mr. Butler was predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Merle WeaverButler.

Survivors include his son, George W. (Bunky) Butler and his wife,Audrey, his daughter Elizabeth Melton and her husband, Floyd ofGreenwood, his daughter Merlyn Dodson and her husband, Jack, ofClarksdale, and his daughter Anne Butler of Overland Park, Kansas;